News You Can Use For January 2006
The new MyPyramid has an increased emphasis on a diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. Also, variety is very important to get all the vitamins and nutrients our bodies need to stay healthy.
In observance of January as Pear Month, LSU AgCenter food and nutrition expert Dr. Heli Roy recommends eating pears, because they are a good source of dietary fiber, about 4 grams each, and they are an excellent source of potassium as well as vitamin C, magnesium, phosporus and carotene. Pears also contain colorless anthocyanins that turn red when they are cooked or during ripening. The anthocyanins are a group of polyphenols that act as dietary antioxidants and prevent many chronic diseases. The highest concentration is in the skin, so make sure to eat the skin but wash the fruit well. Canned pears are a good substitute when fresh pears are not available. Just choose the ones that are canned in water, not in heavy syrup.
Pears have no cholesterol, saturated fat or sodium. For a healthy snack, Roy says simply wash the fruit and slice it up or just bite in. Pears taste best at room temperature.
If you seldom or never have eaten a pear, this would be a good time to give one a try, Roy adds.
Pears come in several varieties. Some are better raw, and others are better cooked. Four popular varieties are Bartlett, Anjou, Bosc and Comice. Each has a different color and shape, with a subtle difference in flavor and texture.
Anjou pears are the most abundant in the winter and the least expensive of all varieties. They have a smooth yellow-green skin and creamy flesh that tastes blander than the other varieties.
Bartlett pears, the leading summer pears, are mostly used for canning, and they are also the only pears sold dried.
The Bosc variety is best for baking and poaching, since it holds its shape well when cooked. Comice, on the other hand, is the perfect ingredient for a gift box or a fruit basket. This variety is very sweet and flavorful.
The peak season for pears is August through October, but one variety or another is available year round. Pears are not picked when ripe. Therefore, you need to let them ripen at home. Roy offers two options to attain the best flavor.
One, refrigerate the pears until you are ready to ripen them (take them out of the refrigerator several days before you want to serve them and let them ripen at room temperature).
Or, two, ripen the pears at room temperature, and then refrigerate them for no longer than a day or two before eating them.
Other serving suggestions include baking (stuffed pears), sautéing (for a sweet and spicy side dish) or served raw (peeled, halved and cored) with cheese. Roy recommends Brie or Camembert. Cooked pears are enhanced by warm spices, like nutmeg, cloves or allspice.